Driven to confront a past she once concealed, a Taiwanese daughter films her mother’s journey back to Sichuan, China, unearthing the weight of cross-strait history within their shared silence.
This film spans over 28 years between the director and her mother, Lei Xia, who moved from China to Taiwan in the late 1990s. Growing up in Taiwan, the director viewed her mother’s background as a secret to be concealed, creating a profound emotional distance that rendered Lei Xia a familiar stranger.
A sudden notice from the Taiwanese government disrupts their quiet life. As the tension between the two nation rises, Lei Xia must provide proof of renouncing her Chinese registration or risk losing her Taiwanese ID. This bureaucratic crisis forces the past into the present, reviving memories of the hardships she faced upon migrating.
Seeking to see her mother beyond social labels, the director follows Lei Xia to her hometown in Sichuan. It is her first time returning for the Lunar New Year in thirty years. Amidst a changing landscape and relatives who no longer recognize her, Lei Xia appears caught between two histories. The film captures their evolving relationship, acknowledging the limits of understanding while standing together within their shared history.
